My Right Hand (a NaruHina FanFiction)

Chapter 1: Ramen

Ten Months Ago...

"Dammit! Dammit! DAMMIT!!"

Ichiraku Teuchi looked at his best client with a look of concern on his face as he struggled for what had to be the tenth time to bring some of the food to his mouth. Naruto had just gotten an exit pass from the Konoha Hospital, and, after experiencing the utter horror that was hospital food (which is apparently terrible in all known multiverses), he had a huge craving for ramen...

...the problem was that he couldn't quite eat it.

Naruto was right-handed. He was used to handling the majority of his everyday tasks with his right hand. He didn't think much about losing it at first, but now that he was out of the hospital and expected to fend for himself, he found out that he couldn't do many of the menial tasks that he used to do without much thought before. The simple act of putting his apartment keys on his keyhole and turning them around to open the door was extremely difficult...

...and properly holding a pair of chopsticks was near freaking impossible!

"Can't you summon some clones to help you out?"

"It wouldn't help much... They won't be better at holding chopsticks..." explained Naruto "And they will probably try to eat my ramen themselves, those selfish bastards!"

The restaurant owner nodded in understanding. Naruto used his shadow clones so frequently, it was easy to forget that each clone had a mind of its own.

"I will bring you some gyoza. It will be easier for you to pick up." he said as he patted his best client's back and went inside the kitchen to prepare them. "Don't worry, it's on the house."

"Thanks old man, I appreciate it." he said as he sported one of his trademarked smiles.

But as soon as Teuchi went back in the Kitchen, the smile disappeared and a bitter expression replaced it. His recent discussion with Tsunade came back to the front of his mind.

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"What do you mean, it's not ready yet?"

"I am sorry Naruto, but making a fully functional hand out of a bunch of cells, especially one that is compatible with your genetic makeup, is going to take time."

"How much 'time' are we talking about here?"

"About a year or so..."
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A year? A year ?! He couldn't take another minute of this, never mind a freaking year !!

The ramen looked so appetizing. The smell of Miso Pork tickled his nostrils. But you needed dexterity in order to handle a pair of chopsticks and you needed another arm in order to put the ramen bowl on your mouth and start drinking the broth...

He was half-tempted to just slam in head inside the bowl and just start eating with his mouth like a dog. But people were actually looking at him now, admiring him and praising him. Kids on the street kept telling him how much he inspired them and that they hoped to become as strong as him. He wasn't the pint-shaped brat that struggled for attention anymore. He was a world renowned hero...

And world renowned heroes didn't put their heads inside ramen bowls like dogs.

He envied Sasuke in this regard.

People weren't looking up to him. He could behave as bad as he wanted, as long as he didn't hurt anybody. Plus, he had lost his left arm, which meant he could still somehow handle things like eating with chopsticks and opening doors with relative ease.

A sense of gloom surrounded him... He was so lost in his thoughts that he nearly didn't notice the two familiar figures that entered the ramen stand. Or rather one familiar figure and his faithful canine companion.